Common Causes Of Dispensing Errors In Pharmacy

Medication errors are the leading cause of morbidity and preventable death in hospitals (Adams). In fact, approximately 1.5 million Americans are injured each year as a result of medication errors in hospitals (Foote). Not only are medication errors harmful to patients but medication errors are very expensive for hospitals. Medication errors cost America’s health care system 3.5 billion dollars per year (Foote).Errors in medication administration occurs when one of the five rights of medication administration is omitted. The five rights are: a) the right dose, b) the right medication, c) the right patient, d) the right route of administration, and e) the right time of delivery (Adams). Medication administration is an essential part of

A dispensing error is a discrepancy between a prescription and the medicine that the pharmacy delivers to the patient or distributes to the ward on the basis of this prescription, including the dispensing of a medicine with inferior pharmaceutical or informational quality shows the categories of dispensing errors. If dispensing errors are considered from the perspective that the quality of all pharmacy care activities should be assured by the pharmacist, this list can be extended by

Biron, A., Lavoie-Tremblay, M., & Loiselle, C. (2009). Characteristics of work interruptions during medication administration. Journal Of Nursing Scholarship,41(4),330-336.doi:10.1111/j.1547-5069.2009.01300.x

Drug names, labels and packaging contribute to medication errors. Drug product characteristics as well as processes at the facility can contribute to medication errors. Organizations should systematically evaluate each high-risk medication. The names of several medications are strikingly similar looking or similar sound. The potential for errors caused by lookalike, sound-alike medications may be reduced by using type size that can read easily, prescribing where to write clearly, storage using TALL man lettering, increasing knowledge of patient education if changes in medications appearance, procurement of medicine, placing warning labels on stock bins, and storing high-risk medications in nonadjacent areas. Nurses, especially

This integrative review sought to identify and understand the impact of information technology in on medication errors. The review of 14 papers shows that the implementation of medication management systems, which include CPOE, BCMA and automated dispensing machines has successfully reduced medication errors and adverse medication events significantly, particularly the two most susceptible stages of prescription and administration of drugs (Armada et al., 2014).

A dispensing error is a discrepancy between a prescription and the medicine that the pharmacy delivers to the patient or distributes to the ward on the basis of this prescription, including the dispensing of a medicine with inferior pharmaceutical or informational quality shows the categories of dispensing errors. If dispensing errors are considered from the perspective that the quality of all pharmacy care activities should be assured by the

The generated number from the unusual incidence occurrence report system were collected form the pharmacy and risk management. Four areas were evaluated, rate of accurate compliance with medication policy and procedures, success rate of medication administration, frequency of medication errors, rate of nurse-initiated medication error, and type of errors occurrence. One evaluated all the quarterly reports the year 2015 unusual occurrence of medication administration in the facility , 15% of error where wrong medications. Wrong medication can be are related to sound-alike and look-alike medications.

In today’s current fast-paced and demanding field of heath care, medication administration has become complex and time-consuming task. Approximately one-third of the nurses’ time is used in medication administration. There is much potential for error because of the complexity of the medication administration process. Since nurses are the last ones to actually administer the medication to the patient therefore they become responsible for medication administration errors (MAE). Reasons for MAE may include individual factors, organizational factors or system factors. This paper will discuss the root causes analysis of MAE and strategies to prevent them.

Beside this, most studies on pediatric medication error were concerned on general categories of medication error such as prescribing and administration errors which may have limitations to specifically identify the contributing factors of prescribing dose error in pediatrics population. Therefore, this study aims to fill gaps on pediatrics medication error at health centers were majority of the population served and service is provided by paramedics with limited knowledge and experience on pediatric

In the article it is supported that tiredness and fatigue are the main factors that contribute to medication mistakes respectively 25.3% and 16.5%. When nurses are tired it becomes difficult for them to focus on medication administration. Miscommunication is also major aspect that is associated with increasing MAEs rate. 16.5% errors were made by nurses because handwriting was not clear enough to read. Wrong time medication administration was the most common error 31.6%. It is identified that nurses believe that administering medication one hour later is not an error and they do not report unless patient safety is at risk. Documentation is also an important, illegal documentation can create confusion and misreading the names of drug and MAE

Medication error (ME) is a significant problem within our health care system, in terms of patient harm and cost. In July 2002, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) cited the need to reduce medication errors as a top priority. Several studies suggest that medical error is the third-leading cause of death in the United States. In fact, at least 7,000 inpatient deaths occur annually as a direct

system.5 We classified this as a Level 2 study, since, from the patient perspective, the design is that of a non-randomized trial. Other studies included in this review consisted of retrospective observational studies with before-after6-8 or cross-sectional design11 (Level 3). The reviewed studies described dispensing systems for orally administered medications, and were published between 1984 and 1995 (see Table 12.1). Study Outcomes All studies measured rates of medication errors (Level 2 outcome). Four studies5,7,8,11 detected errors by direct observation using a methodology that was first

Providing care for the patient is the responsibility of nurses. Nurses are the one who are close with patients. They are responsible and accountable to make sure that the treatments and needs of patient are fulfilled. Medication administration is a part of the nurses’ responsibility in order to make sure clients get the correct medication as supposed. Medication administration error is a universal health care concern.Thus the strategy in improving medication administration system is important to enhance safety.

the definition and types of medication error. It is a failure in the treatment process that leads to harm the client. There is nine types of errors that a physician, nurse or pharmacists may committed during give the health care. First, prescribing error for example: the caregiver do not read the instruction for using the drug or do not chick the quantity, dose, rote several time. Second, Omission error and that occur when the nurse forget to give the drug that request for the patients. Third, wrong time error for example: the caregiver do not give the drug in the specific time. Forth, unauthorized drug error. Fifth, improper dose error, for example, administrate more or less of pills that ordered to the patients. Sixth, wrong dosage-form error.

Alarms are to believe have helped decreased patient falls, increase satisfaction scores and maintain medication regimen. (Powell-Cope, 2014) Although they have decreased, increased and maintained some research has proven “alarm fatigue” has increased. (Powell-Cope, 2014) There are numerous alarms used in the medical field, from call bells to IV pumps to bed alarms, with all great things comes a negative. Although having these devices are extremely helpful to nurses, they are a hinder when the staff ignores them, increasing falls, decreasing patient satisfaction scores. Furthermore, research has shown the effectiveness of an alerting signal drops with just a small number of false alarms. (Powell-Cope, 2014) In the facility that I work in alarm fatigue is increasing. I care for mother-baby couples, each baby has an alarm places on them when they